CHARLESTON, S.C. (Dec. 7, 2011) – US Club Soccer has announced the creation of the Southern California National Premier League as the newest addition to the organization’s National Premier Leagues (NPL). The Southern California National Premier League, which will include U-13 through U-17 boys, is comprised of eight clubs.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Dec. 7, 2011) – US Club Soccer has announced the creation of the Southern California National Premier League as the newest addition to the organization’s National Premier Leagues (NPL).

The NPL has been created to provide a national developmental platform with the highest level of competition in given geographic areas, and to elevate and change the competitive youth soccer landscape based upon fundamental principles in US Club Soccer’s 10-year vision.

The Southern California National Premier League, which will include U-13 through U-17 boys, is comprised of eight clubs:

Albion SC (Calif.)

Carlsbad Elite (Calif.)

DMS11 (Calif.)

Fullerton Rangers (Calif.)

Heat FC (Nev.)

Los Angeles Premier FC (Calif.)

Las Vegas Soccer Academy (Nev.)

Santa Barbara SC (Calif.)

Set to kick off in spring 2012, Southern California National Premier League participating teams will play a regular-season schedule with winning teams in each age group advancing to the inaugural National Premier Leagues Champions Cupin July 2012.

"With the creation of the Southern California National Premier League, this will provide a great vehicle and platform for top clubs and top teams to compete and provide exposure opportunities above and beyond what exists,” said Albion SC Technical Director Noah Gins. “I look forward to helping this league push forward and establish itself as an elite program with real opportunities for the clubs."

“The creation of the Southern California National Premier League helps reinforce US Club Soccer’s expansion throughout the state of California and into Nevada,” said US Club Soccer Executive Vice President Christian Lavers. “The Southern California National Premier League joins the NorCal Premier League, an inaugural member of the NPL.”

The Southern California National Premier League is comprised of six clubs from Southern California and two from the Las Vegas area of Nevada, which serves to further strengthen the league. In all, the NPL now includes 11 leagues across the United States:

Florida Premier League

Gulf States Premier League

Midwest Developmental League

New England Premier League

NorCal Premier League

Northeast Pre-Academy League

Northern Illinois Soccer League

Oregon Premier League

Southeast Pre-Academy League

Southern California National Premier League

Texas Pre-Academy League

For more information on the Southern California National Premier League, please contact the SCNPL Director at director@socalnpl.com.

For more information on the National Premier Leagues or US Club Soccer, please contact US Club Soccer’s Sacha van der Most at svandermost@usclubsoccer.org or (562) 392-6056.

The Southern California National Premier League Web page will soon be available at www.socalnpl.com. In the meantime, please visit the NPL website at nationalpremierleagues.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUES:

US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues have been created to provide a national competitive developmental platform:

that allows players to be scouted and evaluated by U.S. Soccer National Staff and Technical Advisors;

that is designed and structured by the clubs, based on the needs of the clubs;

using international rules of competition;

that provides an avenue for qualification for the NPL Champions Cup.

The NPL is an important component of US Club Soccer’s 10-year vision to refine the landscape for competitive youth soccer. This vision recognizes that:

properly-structured youth soccer clubs are the vehicle through which player development does and must occur in the United States.

clubs should play in leagues that provide meaningful games, allow establishment of the proper training-to-game ratio, and eliminate calendar congestion.

National Premier Leagues, as well as the best clubs, should be integrated in US Club Soccer’s id2 National Identification and Development Program, include Player Development Programs (PDPs) in select local markets, and work closely with U.S. Soccer staff regarding player identification, and player and coach development.

ABOUT US CLUB SOCCER:

US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive club soccer in the United States. A member of the United States Soccer Federation since July 2001, US Club Soccer has grown to include member clubs and leagues in all 50 states. In addition to sanctioning and administering tournaments, leagues and other competitions as well as offering a range of programs for its members, US Club Soccer annually conducts the National Cup. US Club Soccer also directs its own player identification and development program – id2.